Facebook facing $1bn legal action over Hamas attacks
Attacks on Americans in Israel, the West Bank and Jerusalem were prepared through the social media site, lawsuit says
- Israeli lawyer Nitsana Darshan-Leitner brings the case against Facebook in New York on behalf of victims' families
Facebook is to be sued by the families of 5 American victims of Hamas attacks in Israel, as they claim that the social media site was used by Hamas to coordinate assaults.
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Lawyers filed a $1bn case against Mark Zuckerberg's company, alleging that it allowed the Palestinian militant group to carry out the attacks in Israel, the West Bank and Jerusalem, in which four Americans died and one was injured.
Hamas is considered to be a terrorist organisation by the US, European Union and Israel.
“Facebook has knowingly provided material support and resources to Hamas in the form of Facebook’s online social network platform and communication services,” said the lawsuit, which was sent to Bloomberg by the office of the Israeli lawyer working on the case, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner.
“Simply put, Hamas uses Facebook as a tool for engaging in terrorism,” it said.
Facebook said that it does not comment on legal proceedings.
However, a senior Hamas leader told Bloomberg that “suing Facebook clearly shows the American policy of fighting freedom of the press and expression”.
The case was given to the US District Court in New York on July 10, and the plaintiffs include the families of children who were killed in attacks in the region, such as 3-year-old Chaya Braun, whose pram was struck intnetionally at a train station in Jerusalem in 2014.